BnB Review: Extrawelt - In Aufruhr

Written by Youri Jozee

Minimal -

"Extrawelt’s sophomore album has become a mixture of the outfit’s well known house and techno sound, but also occasionally moves away to explore other territories."

Ever since their debut EP Soopertrack (released in 2005 on Border Community), German duo Extrawelt have been among the most respected acts in the field of sparkling minimal techno. Their cutting-edge live show, slew of EPs, and the release of the excellent Schöne Neue Extrawelt LP on Sven Väth’s Cocoon Recordings in 2008 prolonged that status and now the time has come to release their second album to date: In Aufruhr.

“We took our time and have collected tracks that have particularly touched us, no matter whether they are club-compatible or not,” say Extrawelt. “Besides that we didn’t want to repeat ourselves but create a unique second album that stands for itself.” Be that as it may, the album has become more or less what we would expect from Extrawelt: a collection of throbbing, vibrant house and techno tracks marked by gloomy synthesizers, obscure patterns and often minimally structured, crispy rhythms that sound very er… club-compatible. Their sound has clearly progressed, however, although most of tracks are built around the duo’s trademarked combination of buzzing synths, playful grooves and haunting synths. Tracks such as Dumb Age, Swallow The Leader, Pontiac, and Phoebe reminisce of early Extrawelt tracks, while Herz Aus Blech, 808 Slate and most notably Blendwerk II see the duo experimenting with more unorthodox patterns. All the while the album remains very melodic, a bit dark too, and when listened in a single turn, very trippy. The best track on the album? Herz Aus Blech’s pretty sweet, but Blendwerk II is definitely worth many spins too.

Our verdict:
Extrawelt’s sophomore album has become a mixture of the outfit’s well known house and techno sound, but also occasionally moves away to explore other territories. It is during these moments that the true craftsmanship of Extrawelt is revealed. In Aufruhr is nothing we haven’t heard before, but if you’re a fan of melody-driven, stripped-down electronic music then this album will definitely cater to you.

Rating: 6.9/10
Label: Cocoon Recordings
Release date: November 7th, 2011

Tracklist:
1. The Next Little Thing
2. Division Dunkel
3. Blendwerk I
4. Leave 43 (Neverlasting Edit)
5. Aufwind
6. Herz aus Blech
7. Pontiac
8. Swallow the Leader
9. 808 Slate
10. Blendwerk II
11. Phoebe
12. Dumb Age
13. Die Welt Ist Nicht Genug
14. Schlusslicht